


A Knight's Dream

by Ruunkur



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ashe has a Bad Day, Crimson Flower Route, Fires, Whumptober 2020, day fourteen: Is Something Burning?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27001021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: Ashe had one dream.And that was to protect people.Only his dreams go up in flames one night.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	A Knight's Dream

**Author's Note:**

> I have seen exactly _one_ prompt from the Whomtober selection and got a whole Idea out of it, so here you go, my contribute to Whomtober.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

It had never been like this in his novels. The glory of battle. The perseverance of good over evil. The good knights always prevailed.

And it wasn’t like the Empire was _good_. Edelgard, regardless of what title she gave herself, was going to destroy their way of life. Destroy everything that the Kingdom had stood for. Destroy their beliefs.

At least, that’s what Rhea had told them. The Empire was the evil in his story and that’s all Ashe needed to know before he picked up his bow to fight against them. It hurt to see the professor, Byleth -the one that everyone loved and everyone wanted to flock to like their own guiding light, the professor who-.

He shook his head to push the thoughts away, to ground himself into the fight. He had been devastated when Rhea returned to Fhirdiad without Dimitri, claiming that he and-

There, Ashe brought these thoughts to a halt, looking up across the war table. Of all the Blue Lions, he was the only one left. Sylvain had deflected, from the moment the professor sauntered into the monastery. The others had fallen, in the time that followed.

For years, they had been at a stalemate until the professor had shown up.

_”Your adopted father was doing what he thought best. The pain for a family member runs deeper than loyalty to a crown or a religion, in some cases. It’s okay to think for yourself, sometimes.” The professor had turned to Ashe, nodding at him as they spoke the words._

At the time, he hadn’t understood. Lord Lonato had thrown away so much for the death of a son who had betrayed the church. He hadn’t understood.

But maybe, just maybe, he might understand now, looking at the city he had so grown to love. The city that so many people had laid down their lives to protect-

_”Set it aflame, they will not have it!”_

He lowered his bow just a fraction, swallowing as he glanced at the fire.

The fire that Rhea demanded be lit the moment she realized that the Imperial armies were following.

Fires that consumed the people-

Ashe threw down his bow, ignoring the protest from one of the others and he ran, ramming his shoulder into one of the buildings. The wood splintered and he heard the scared cries of-

_”Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we have enough to eat.” Ashe smiled at his siblings, ignoring the pain in his own stomach as he put the food down. “You won’t have to be afraid, not anymore. I promise. One day, I’ll be a knight who will be able to protect everyone. No one will be hurt while I’m around.”_

A promise to dead siblings, siblings who had been lost during the war. He had clung to the ideal of knighthood as he followed Dimitri and the church, further and further.

These kids were hiding, terrified, as Ashe burst in. The house was creaking, the flames hotter.

_”Burn the city, let the Empire have nothing but ash and bones if they so desire.”_

He covered his mouth with a hand, his eyes watering as he tried to coax the children out but-

Ashe closed one eye as the flames burned brighter, his words lost among the coughing. Pain licked up his body and he glanced down at his outstretched hand, watching the flames lick at his sleeve.

He looked up to see the scared eyes of the children and he felt the tears prick in his eyes.

_”When the war is over, Ashe, for your services, I will make you a knight of the Kingdom. You have been invaluable to us. To me.”_

_“You really mean it?” He looked up at Dimitri, wide eyed. He was going into battle tomorrow, they would win, defeat the Empire on the plains._

_“Of course, Ashe, anything for you,” Dimitri promised before kissing him again, bringing him closer-_

Ashe threw his head up and laughed as the flames spread, the laughter turning to pained screeches as the battle outside began in earnest.


End file.
